How many Kms have you done??

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How many Kms have you done??

4/5

Wideglider
3 years ago

Quoting Far Canal on 07 Apr 2021 08:58 AM
400,000 ks!, wow. I take my hat off to ya Steve.
What have you had to do to the engine in that time to keep it going?.

Quoting obisteve on 07 Apr 2021 11:26 AM
Not a lot, considering its now 31 years, with a lot of the mileage being on dirt, and that I used to run dirt drags (top street bike Aratula 1990). Had to lightly hone the bores and fit new rings at 90,000 kms, they were glazed. Full engine rebuild at 220000 km, 1st rebore, Crane cams fitted then, new crank pin, new lifters. I pulled the motor out of the frame pulled the gearbox out, walked in to Morgan & Wackers, put it down on the counter said fix it send me the bill. They did a good job. It needs work now, pretty rattly, but it did spend 3 days underwater in 2012? and I started it up after just draining out the water, hosing out the sand and gravel and spraying a lot of WD40 and diesel around, with 5 oil and filter changes over the next 2 days.
It's been the gearbox that's caused trouble, last year of the 4 speed, 1200cc. Chewed countershaft 3rd at 40000km, chewed it again at 80000, then I started putting Andrews gears in. These last 120000 kms. I've got good at rebuilding the gearbox now, its all Andrew's gears and shafts, and has the real smooth shifts you get from spot on gear shimming.
Since I stopped running dirt drags I've run pretty high gearing, 21/40 sprockets for relaxed 120 kph country road cruising, so I think I contribute to pitting the 3rd gears by lugging it in 3rd in town. I keep it because its like an old dog you can't bear to put down, no one else would take care of it. Running points, after the electronic ignition started to fail when riding the sand roads in the Pilliga Scrub.
Does it sound like I like it?

Great history there, we do get attached to our rides.
Running points though? All the aftermarket electronic ignitions are totally sealed - how can sand adversely affect their operation?

obisteve
3 years ago

Quoting paulybronco on 20 Mar 2021 09:39 AM
Hey Steve glad you have joined the forum. Its me that you see, usually headed in the opposite direction on the obi obi or headed down towards Nambour on the red street glide. Brian is a good guy , the owner at Farrows.

Quoting obisteve on 06 Apr 2021 11:26 AM
Hi Pauly, I was kinda wondering if it was you. The other candidate was a bloke on a nice stock Heritage Soft tail who tried to follow the Victory down through the Dulong esses, that I later met at a party in Brisbane.
You aren't gonna see me in the mornings any more, sold my 60 acres on the creek at Obi last week, moved to this old 2 classroom country school I bought on a couple of acres at the edge of a little country town, retired. Gonna be riding different backroads from now on, with a lot more of it on the old Sporty. It was nice to see you out on the road so many mornings.

Quoting paulybronco on 07 Apr 2021 09:13 AM
You still in QLD though....

Yeah, moved about 90 km west.

obisteve
3 years ago

Quoting Far Canal on 07 Apr 2021 08:58 AM
400,000 ks!, wow. I take my hat off to ya Steve.
What have you had to do to the engine in that time to keep it going?.

Quoting obisteve on 07 Apr 2021 11:26 AM
Not a lot, considering its now 31 years, with a lot of the mileage being on dirt, and that I used to run dirt drags (top street bike Aratula 1990). Had to lightly hone the bores and fit new rings at 90,000 kms, they were glazed. Full engine rebuild at 220000 km, 1st rebore, Crane cams fitted then, new crank pin, new lifters. I pulled the motor out of the frame pulled the gearbox out, walked in to Morgan & Wackers, put it down on the counter said fix it send me the bill. They did a good job. It needs work now, pretty rattly, but it did spend 3 days underwater in 2012? and I started it up after just draining out the water, hosing out the sand and gravel and spraying a lot of WD40 and diesel around, with 5 oil and filter changes over the next 2 days.
It's been the gearbox that's caused trouble, last year of the 4 speed, 1200cc. Chewed countershaft 3rd at 40000km, chewed it again at 80000, then I started putting Andrews gears in. These last 120000 kms. I've got good at rebuilding the gearbox now, its all Andrew's gears and shafts, and has the real smooth shifts you get from spot on gear shimming.
Since I stopped running dirt drags I've run pretty high gearing, 21/40 sprockets for relaxed 120 kph country road cruising, so I think I contribute to pitting the 3rd gears by lugging it in 3rd in town. I keep it because its like an old dog you can't bear to put down, no one else would take care of it. Running points, after the electronic ignition started to fail when riding the sand roads in the Pilliga Scrub.
Does it sound like I like it?

Quoting Wideglider on 07 Apr 2021 11:51 AM
Great history there, we do get attached to our rides.
Running points though? All the aftermarket electronic ignitions are totally sealed - how can sand adversely affect their operation?

Nah, it was heat. 42°, low gear in sand, I was running a vacuum operated chain oiler, teed off the vacuum line to the VOES, the vacuum line split, so it was running full retarded with a small intake air leak, so lean as well. It partly melted the ignition pick up.
Now I can carry an ignition rebuild kit (points + condensor) in a matchbox. I grew up on BSAs and AJS so feel comfortable with points.

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obisteve
3 years ago

Quoting Far Canal on 07 Apr 2021 11:39 AM
Yes

Hell yeah!

obisteve
2 years ago

Quoting paulybronco on 20 Mar 2021 09:39 AM
Hey Steve glad you have joined the forum. Its me that you see, usually headed in the opposite direction on the obi obi or headed down towards Nambour on the red street glide. Brian is a good guy , the owner at Farrows.

Quoting obisteve on 06 Apr 2021 11:26 AM
Hi Pauly, I was kinda wondering if it was you. The other candidate was a bloke on a nice stock Heritage Soft tail who tried to follow the Victory down through the Dulong esses, that I later met at a party in Brisbane.
You aren't gonna see me in the mornings any more, sold my 60 acres on the creek at Obi last week, moved to this old 2 classroom country school I bought on a couple of acres at the edge of a little country town, retired. Gonna be riding different backroads from now on, with a lot more of it on the old Sporty. It was nice to see you out on the road so many mornings.

Quoting paulybronco on 07 Apr 2021 09:13 AM
You still in QLD though....

Hi Pauly, meant to reply to you before this. Moved to a few kms down the road from the Linville pub. Bought an old school. When I retired, went looking for a Cross Bones to add to the old Sporty and the Victory. Got a laugh out of looking for an old school bike to park in one. Racked up 140000 kms on the Victory since 2014.
Bugga, had another fall from grace; couldn't find a Cross Bones so ended up with this:
Damn thing had even less cornering clearance than a 90's Fat Boy, and you know how I ride. Now got a longer Progressive shock on the back so it's a bit better. Still keeping an eye out for a Cross Bones and there might be a 70s shovel Super Glide waiting in the future.

paulybronco likes this post

paulybronco
2 years ago

Quoting obisteve on 06 Apr 2021 11:26 AM
Hi Pauly, I was kinda wondering if it was you. The other candidate was a bloke on a nice stock Heritage Soft tail who tried to follow the Victory down through the Dulong esses, that I later met at a party in Brisbane.
You aren't gonna see me in the mornings any more, sold my 60 acres on the creek at Obi last week, moved to this old 2 classroom country school I bought on a couple of acres at the edge of a little country town, retired. Gonna be riding different backroads from now on, with a lot more of it on the old Sporty. It was nice to see you out on the road so many mornings.

Quoting paulybronco on 07 Apr 2021 09:13 AM
You still in QLD though....

Quoting obisteve on 16 Feb 2022 11:39 AM
Hi Pauly, meant to reply to you before this. Moved to a few kms down the road from the Linville pub. Bought an old school. When I retired, went looking for a Cross Bones to add to the old Sporty and the Victory. Got a laugh out of looking for an old school bike to park in one. Racked up 140000 kms on the Victory since 2014.
Bugga, had another fall from grace; couldn't find a Cross Bones so ended up with this:
Damn thing had even less cornering clearance than a 90's Fat Boy, and you know how I ride. Now got a longer Progressive shock on the back so it's a bit better. Still keeping an eye out for a Cross Bones and there might be a 70s shovel Super Glide waiting in the future.

Hey Steve nice to hear your settled and adding to the collection. I still do the obi several times a week and expect to see you fanging in either the opposite direction or better still in the same direction of me....
I have also added a bike to the stable, a BMW 1200GS, now thats a perfect back roads blaster for the rough roads out the back of Kenilworth.
Do you still have the old sporty with a zillion klm?

obisteve likes this post

obisteve
2 years ago

Oh yeah, still have the Sporty, it's like an old dog you can't bear to put down. It's having a bit of a rest at the moment, need to open up the gearbox again and refit the knuckle at the end of the shifter shaft. Dropped it on icy grass at Obi, the shifter on the forward controls hit the ground hard and disengaged the knuckle leaving it jammed in first gear. It's happened before when I got washed off the flooded creek crossing and it dropped about a metre onto rocks, before getting dragged 25m downstream.
Here's a pic of the impression of both my testicles in the back of the tank, and another more general one.

Ouch, that hurt.

Old dog.

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paulybronco
2 years ago

Quoting obisteve on 17 Feb 2022 02:32 PM
Oh yeah, still have the Sporty, it's like an old dog you can't bear to put down. It's having a bit of a rest at the moment, need to open up the gearbox again and refit the knuckle at the end of the shifter shaft. Dropped it on icy grass at Obi, the shifter on the forward controls hit the ground hard and disengaged the knuckle leaving it jammed in first gear. It's happened before when I got washed off the flooded creek crossing and it dropped about a metre onto rocks, before getting dragged 25m downstream.
Here's a pic of the impression of both my testicles in the back of the tank, and another more general one.

Ouch, that hurt.

Old dog.

Yes i didnt think that you would part with her. Some members on here wouldn't believe the history of that bike but more importantly the klm she has done. How many klm has she done...?

obisteve
2 years ago

It's hard to pin it down exactly, but around 390,000 kms. Don't think it's gone over 400000 yet.
It was hard to get genuine worm gear speedo drives early this century. Could get aftermarket ones from Rollie but he would tell me it would only last a few months.
He was right, so it ran without a speedo for several years in total. The 390000 figure is extrapolated from the rate I was piling it on when the speedo was working. It was my only transport for most of its life. After I bought the Victory
HardBall in 2014 it was semi retired, but I've put 140000 km on the Victory since, and that's pretty much the rate that the Sporty was clocking them up. Now I have the second Victory I reckon the 3 bikes will keep me mobile until we can't buy petrol anymore.
Although I am still keeping an eye out for a Cross Bones, and depending on which of us croaks first a mates 74 FXE might find a place in the shed. Sheds getting a bit crowded though.
I now have a genuine speedo drive on the bike, and a spare. Might possibly drill and tap one of them to fit a grease nipple.

Can I squeeze a Shovel in here too?

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paulybronco
2 years ago

Quoting obisteve on 18 Feb 2022 01:23 PMedited: 18 Feb 2022 01:39 PM
It's hard to pin it down exactly, but around 390,000 kms. Don't think it's gone over 400000 yet.
It was hard to get genuine worm gear speedo drives early this century. Could get aftermarket ones from Rollie but he would tell me it would only last a few months.
He was right, so it ran without a speedo for several years in total. The 390000 figure is extrapolated from the rate I was piling it on when the speedo was working. It was my only transport for most of its life. After I bought the Victory
HardBall in 2014 it was semi retired, but I've put 140000 km on the Victory since, and that's pretty much the rate that the Sporty was clocking them up. Now I have the second Victory I reckon the 3 bikes will keep me mobile until we can't buy petrol anymore.
Although I am still keeping an eye out for a Cross Bones, and depending on which of us croaks first a mates 74 FXE might find a place in the shed. Sheds getting a bit crowded though.
I now have a genuine speedo drive on the bike, and a spare. Might possibly drill and tap one of them to fit a grease nipple.

Can I squeeze a Shovel in here too?

Of course you can!

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obisteve
2 years ago

Took the first step in fixing the gear linkage on the Sportster, put a cable tie on the clutch lever and rolled it out of the shed to pressure wash it. I swear I could see it blinking, it hasn't come out for a year.
Here it is in all its rat glory, with its hillbilly single seat conversion done with a bread knife and duct tape, Fat Bob front wheel on the back, 21" front with '70s Superglide chromed mudguard over it, Oz made 4 piston caliper on the front, home made sissy bar, no ignition box behind the battery, mismatched mirrors, single throttle cable, battlescarred flame paint from '92 on it, short shocks from a '90s Dyna with Ikon Sporty springs on them, 10 litre tank with battered chromed brass cap off something '30s and British, God knows what else.
I should have it running again next week, then might muck around with it a bit more. Sprung saddle? +2" fork tubes? early Street Bob limp dick tail light on a shortened mudguard?
Anyone on here have one of those spare and wanna sell it?

Back in the shed snuggled up to the big girl.

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Far Canal
2 years ago

"Street Bob limp dick tail light on a shortened mudguard?
Anyone on here have one of those spare and wanna sell it?"

I put one of those on my Honda 750 Four, bought it pretty cheap on ebay. I think they call them Sparto tail lights.

Just like this one https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/144472197658?hash=item21a336ca1a:g:8EMAAOSw3KRiS6w0

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obisteve
2 years ago

Thanks for thinking of those FC. The early Street Bob ones were styled after the old Sparto lights from the '40s, and Sparto repros are readily available as you say, but the genuine Harley ones had a bigger lens, bright LEDs and met the required ADRs. The old dog is illegal enough already, don't want to draw more attention to it with an inadequate tail light.
I'm probably not going to clock up heaps of miles on it, but on the days when my wife doesn't want to come with me and I don't want any fries with my riding, only the lean meat, it will be the one.
After I croak, my daughter has held up her hand for it. After all, she grew up on the back of it.

FBUser214
2 years ago

Quoting Far Canal on 14 Apr 2022 02:27 AMedited: 14 Apr 2022 02:45 AM
"Street Bob limp dick tail light on a shortened mudguard?
Anyone on here have one of those spare and wanna sell it?"

I put one of those on my Honda 750 Four, bought it pretty cheap on ebay. I think they call them Sparto tail lights.

Just like this one https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/144472197658?hash=item21a336ca1a:g:8EMAAOSw3KRiS6w0

You could turn it up the other way FC

paulybronco
2 years ago

Quoting obisteve on 13 Apr 2022 08:42 AMedited: 13 Apr 2022 08:53 AM
Took the first step in fixing the gear linkage on the Sportster, put a cable tie on the clutch lever and rolled it out of the shed to pressure wash it. I swear I could see it blinking, it hasn't come out for a year.
Here it is in all its rat glory, with its hillbilly single seat conversion done with a bread knife and duct tape, Fat Bob front wheel on the back, 21" front with '70s Superglide chromed mudguard over it, Oz made 4 piston caliper on the front, home made sissy bar, no ignition box behind the battery, mismatched mirrors, single throttle cable, battlescarred flame paint from '92 on it, short shocks from a '90s Dyna with Ikon Sporty springs on them, 10 litre tank with battered chromed brass cap off something '30s and British, God knows what else.
I should have it running again next week, then might muck around with it a bit more. Sprung saddle? +2" fork tubes? early Street Bob limp dick tail light on a shortened mudguard?
Anyone on here have one of those spare and wanna sell it?

Back in the shed snuggled up to the big girl.

Many of a memory there Steve......look after that old girl.

Far Canal
2 years ago

Quoting Far Canal on 14 Apr 2022 02:27 AMedited: 14 Apr 2022 02:45 AM
"Street Bob limp dick tail light on a shortened mudguard?
Anyone on here have one of those spare and wanna sell it?"

I put one of those on my Honda 750 Four, bought it pretty cheap on ebay. I think they call them Sparto tail lights.

Just like this one https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/144472197658?hash=item21a336ca1a:g:8EMAAOSw3KRiS6w0

Quoting FBUser214 on 14 Apr 2022 08:28 AM

You could turn it up the other way FC

Whaddya mean 214?.
The Sparto "stiffy" taillight...ha ha

Sturgis
2 years ago

Just clicked up 121,000kms on the '16 Road Glide.
The Sturgis with DJP sidecar is around 200,000kms over the past 40+years.
2005 Couch was written off in 2016 with over 150,000kms.

Timmy
2 years ago

I don’t have so many kms, but my hour meter would be high. It takes me about 2 hours to clock up 70km where I live. Sometimes more, sometimes less :D

paulybronco
2 years ago

Quoting Timmy on 15 Apr 2022 11:07 AM
I don’t have so many kms, but my hour meter would be high. It takes me about 2 hours to clock up 70km where I live. Sometimes more, sometimes less :D

Move!

Timmy
2 years ago

Lol, I stay in 2nd gear a lot. Then a short 100kmh run between villages… sometimes I get stuck behind a tractor 😂

Topics

4/5

How many Kms have you done??

How many Kms have you done??

Wideglider

obisteve

obisteve

obisteve

obisteve

paulybronco

obisteve

paulybronco

obisteve

paulybronco

obisteve

Far Canal

obisteve

FBUser214

paulybronco

Far Canal

Sturgis

Timmy

paulybronco

Timmy